It would be impossible to briefly synopsize Texas’ whirlwind 2025 season. The Longhorns were the media’s offseason darling, and for good reason. The emergence of five-star freshman quarterback Arch Manning, the football family heir with prodigy potential, seemed to promise a restoration of glory to Austin.
A Week 1 showdown with Ohio State was supposed to be the jumping off point for a College Football Playoff campaign. Instead, Texas staggered out of the gate in a 14-7 loss. Manning’s middling output, 170 yards and an interception, was an early indicator of a disappointing run for the former Heisman favorite. Manning’s 18 touchdowns alongside six interceptions aren’t abysmal, but certainly fall short of lofty preseason expectations.
After a Week 5 flub at Florida, Texas may as well have eulogized its season. Unranked and firmly outside of the playoff conversation, 2025 looked like a write off for the Longhorns. But, a lopsided upset win over Oklahoma in Dallas kickstarted a four-game win streak crowned by a shootout victory over No. 9 Vanderbilt. Now, they find themselves knee-deep in postseason talks ahead of a trip to Athens this Saturday.
While still not on par with the golden boy epithet of preview magazine season, Manning has steadily improved as the Longhorns have ascended. He posted an impressive 346 and 328 yards against Mississippi State and Vanderbilt, respectively, notching three touchdowns in each outing. Permitting Texas’ offensive front, who has allowed nine sacks on the year, can hold the line in their final three games, Manning can ease into the stout pocket passer he was hailed as during his recruitment.
If the Longhorns win out, a playoff bid is all but guaranteed, even if they were to come up short in a potential, albeit unlikely, SEC Championship game. According to ESPN’s Allstate Playoff Predictor, winning out would give Texas a greater than 99% chance to notch a spot, even sans a conference title game appearance. If they were to find themselves in Atlanta come December, a loss would definitely relegate them to an at-large bid, but not preclude them from the field altogether.
Running the table will be no small feat, though. Georgia’s double edged offensive assault should prove tricky for a Texas squad who has allowed north of 360 passing yards in two consecutive games. Despite recent gaps in the secondary, the Longhorns boast the SEC’s most effective run defense, allowing an average of just 78.22 yards per game. If Texas’ front seven can win in the trenches, they could escape Athens with another high-quality win on their resume.
Assuming Texas can avoid an upset against a floundering Arkansas, its playoff chances will be contingent upon a meetup with undefeated Texas A&M on rivalry week. Similarly physical on the line, the Aggies have notched 1,844 rushing yards this season, largely due to the ground threat from redshirt sophomore quarterback Marcel Reed, responsible for six rushing scores alongside 19 through the air.
The Longhorns have a 51% chance to make the playoff as of this week, per the Allstate Playoff Predictor. Despite cause for optimism, a win over the Dawgs this week is imperative if they want to remain in the mix.